Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Herman.
Maria, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I grew up in a shack on a lake, on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia. My parents were Dutch immigrants, who’d come to Australia for a new start after World War 2. Dad had been in a Nazi concentration camp for helping to hide Jews in Amsterdam, and while incarcerated he was kicked in the face and suffered terrible sinus problems. After escaping from the camp and returning to Amsterdam, he was told that he would suffer less in a dry, hot climate and so Down Under they went. My upbringing was very humble. No running water. Just a shack and a lake and an outhouse. If I did get to take a bath … a few people had usually already been in there. But I never thought of myself as poor. I felt lucky.
I started performing at an early age. Ballet and tap and singing by the time I was 5. I just loved an audience. I was always taking classes of one short or another and would perform in the school variety shows, and musicals went to Drama Camp. I was that kind of kid. I considered Television News and ended up in Radio News which was incredible. 8 x 22-minute deadlines per morning shift. I thrived. I ended up becoming Australia’s youngest Radio News Director and won an award for work on the Around Australia Yacht Race. This was back in the days when you would literally splice tape to edit your work. By the time I left to move to the US, I was training my staff on the new digital equipment the station had bought. It was state of the art and sooo much easier.
I moved to the US in the 90s and ended up working on the music side of radio and became a radio announcer in Youngstown OH and later moved to State College PA – met my husband and moved to CA. Woot!
I remember coming to San Diego for the first time and just crying because it reminded me of my hometown Perth. San Diego and Perth are actually sister cities because they share identical latitudes – but more than that their layout is very similar – and the people are super 🙂
I started doing Comedy about eight years ago. In all of the years of performance – stand up was never on my radar. And then one day I ended up doing a mediation program, and after the ‘dharma’ day was over I said – ‘I know what my dharma is.’ Stand Up Comedy. My sister and I had a good laugh at such a random thought, and I didn’t think about it again for more than two years when a friend sent me a link to go to a comedy class. I thought ‘why not’. The class was literally walking distance from my house on a night I was free, and it worked out. I haven’t looked back.
Can you give our readers some background on your work?
Sometimes Stand Up Comedy is as hard as they say. I will write a joke and have to take it out and perform it dozens of times to find the perfect combination and order of words, and the right timing so the joke works. Other times I wake up in the morning with something in my head, and I write it down on a notepad, and it works verbatim every single time. I can’t explain it. I definitely think having a good sense of humor helps a LOT, and that probably stems from childhood. Dad was always a bit goofy, and Mum was sarcastic. I think I have a bit of both, but I definitely lean to the goofy 😉 Maybe I’ll put that on a shirt ‘Lean to the Goofy’.
I have tried to create a variety in my set, so my cadence changes. By that I mean, not only are my topics varied, but the structure of delivery varies, so I keep it interesting for me and the audience. I talk about everything from observations about life and current events to relationships and my husband to everyone else in my family and random thoughts.
My message? Well, I’m an Australian in America, so that’s a part of my perspective, but I’m also female, so that’s a huge part of it. Women are still a minority in comedy even though it might not look that way when you’re watching TV or Streaming etc. But when you’re out there performing at a local venue, there might not even be a female on the lineup. I am often the only female, and so I am the voice for the women in the audience. And I love that. I want to speak for myself and for them. We all deserve to be heard in a way where we can be counted, even if we’re laughing at ourselves.
Creative professionals rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities, and many aspiring artists, performers and other creatives are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Well, struggles are perfect for comedy. Ha! Tragedy plus time equals comedy. It’s never fun to be going through whatever we’re going through, but in time those struggles are the fodder for funny. Sometimes it’s all too close to even think it’s going to be funny ever … but it always is. I would say project into the future to a time when the crisis is over, and look back on the situation to gain some perspective. Things always look worse close up. Look in the mirror!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have been lucky enough to travel all over the world to perform comedy. I like to perform in Australia once a year and in Europe every few years. I was in the Amsterdam Fringe Festival and in the UK I performed at the Henley Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. 2019 is going to be a big touring year Internationally for me, so I’m hoping to be seen everywhere. I would love to perform for the troops again. I was in Afghanistan in February, and that was such an honor. I’m hoping to go back.
Otherwise, my website has my calendar dates, so that keeps it pretty simple. I host Comedy Heights in University Heights most Saturdays unless I’m touring. I co-produced that show with Al Gavi. It’s probably the most popular show in the city. It was voted 2nd in San Diego’s ‘A’ List in 2017.
I also perform at corporate events, so if anyone’s interested in comedy for their company Holiday Party, they should definitely contact me, and I’ll put a show together 🙂 I’ve done corporate events all over the country. I even opened for a dueling piano act at the biggest airshow in the world in Osh Kosh WI.
Social Media is a super way to help support all comedians. I’m on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Following comedians can also help them get booked. Some venues expect you have to 100,000 followers. I have like five followers, so I’m still getting there.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://mariaherman.com/
- Phone: 6199933402
- Email: mariahermancomedy@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahermancomedy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariahermancomedy
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/funnyaussiechck
Image Credit:
Tony Calabrese
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